Monday, 29 October 2012

Five Pumpkin Beers you need to try

Adding cream to pumpkin beer, a la pumpkin pie, is optional

We're still celebrating Octoberfest here at the Glad Blog. And we couldn't have an Octoberfest without a selection of seasonal beers! Here's an extra special guest post for you: Five pumpkin beers you should try this Fall.

Fourth Place: Lavery Stingy Jack. A craft beer from the original home of US brewing, and our home, Pennsylvania.

The name is endearing and the label
tells the story of how the Jack o’ Lantern came to be, but the contents of Stingy Jack isn’t as one would expect. This beer isn’t
really even a pumpkin beer. Most pumpkin beers have obvious notes of
pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and bring thoughts of falling leaves, warm
fires, and pies. Stingy Jack has none of these flavors and doesn’t
bring any of these thoughts.

At first I considered ranking this beer
third, for reasons you will read below. But ultimately a “pumpkin
beer” must taste like pumpkin, or at the very least, Fall.
Stingy Jack fails here. It’s an ok beer but I can tell you it’s
not for everyone. Gillian hated it, and thought it tasted like
pondwater. Stingy Jack, you kept the flavor for yourself.

Third Place: Pumking. "Bewitched and brewed with pagan spirit" in the state of New York.

Pumking professes to be King of
Pumpkin beers. At first glance, it's certainly regally orange. When you
drink it, Pumking will invade and occupy your taste buds like a
despot ruler, whether you like it or not. I love heavy, hearty,
flavorful beers and I think I will get Pumking again, but the flavor
in this brew was very overpowering. This is coming from a guy who
loves the flavors of deep European beer: If I can’t see through the
beer I definitely need to try it.

Despite the overpowering smell
and taste, at least it tasted like a Pumpkin. While I can’t devote
my service to Pumking and his court, I will probably venture back
into his festive realm.

This beer is rather charming. It has a
beautiful amber color and its sweetness coats your tongue. When you
take your first sip you will find a balance of traditional spices that
is just right.

Drinking this beer was a pleasure, as
if a liquid fall candy or pumpkin pie had been poured into my glass.
I could go on about this beer but I won’t, partly because the more
I do the more I want one right now. I highly recommend this beer for
Thanksgiving. Get a bottle and see what I mean; better yet, get two.

This Imperial Pumpkin provides more
bitterness and smokiness than Devious Imperial Pumpkin. Its spices are also a bit more subdued.
This is refreshing, and unlike so many pumpkin beers which tend to
leave behind a massive hoard of flavor taking over your mouth.

Like Devious,
this beer could be very enjoyable by itself. The
yeast flavor makes it slightly more beery, so it would
also be a great accompaniment to a seasonal meal. This beer will definitely
have a place at my table for Thanksgiving … and probably several
times before then.

*Honorable mention: The purpose of this post was to focus on lesser known brews, but I would be remiss if I
didn’t mention the stalwart from Pumpkinshire itself, Sam Adams Pumpkin Ale, which is available in its
fall series. Every year this is a must for me. It’s not as
powerful or as flavorful as the other beers, but I don’t think it’s
supposed to be. It’s a nice autumn festive beer for your everyday
needs.

However, there is one scoundrel out
there that has evaded my taste buds. A much sought after scoundrel
who, I was told, was sold out of the shop just a few days after it
was released. But know this: Next year, Fat Jack, I will hunt you down and find
you …

Thanks Mark, for your pumpkin beer expertise and opinion!

What's your favorite pumpkin beer? What has been missed from this list?